Culture of Humiliation

Bullying is becoming an increasingly pressing problem in Slovenian schools. Research on the experiences of young LGBTIQ+ people shows that the school environment is the second most dangerous and violent for them: almost a third of young LGBTIQ+ people (29%) experience violence because of their gender identity – for transgender people this percentage is even higher (43%); 74% disguise their gender identity for fear of bullying; 30% identified classmates as perpetrators of violence and 5% identified teachers or other school workers; school violence doubled between 2003 and 2014 (from 22% to 44%). Due to stigmatization violence mainly remains invisible and is not reported, and the victims are left suffering their distress alone and without real help.

The Pride Parade Association has been striving for years, together with schools, to open the conversation about bullying. However, due to misunderstanding and various pressures, both inside and outside of school, the door is usually shut for us. Consequently, dealing with this burning issue is insufficient, sporadic, and partial; schools and teachers are often left to fend for themselves, without appropriate tools and methods to prevent bullying or help the victims.

The project Culture of Humiliation aims to increase the sensitivity of the school staff and young people to recognize the negative impact of bullying. Together we will develop and teach them the methods to respond to and address bullying based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We will also address dealing with the pressures experienced by both schools and LGBTQ+ organizations carrying out activities with LGBTIQ+ content in schools.

Throughout two years we will design and test an educational module in cooperation with the Grammar School Ptuj, where we will carry out educational activities and organize an exhibition of works of art by LGBTIQ+ youngsters who have experienced bullying. The module will cover all segments – from teachers and youngsters to parents and school management. The module will be offered for implementation to all the interested schools in Slovenia.

We will also perform an analysis of obstacles and needs of Slovenian schools in offering and implementing activities with LGBTIQ+ content. We will prepare an evaluation based on this analysis. Together with schools and other LGBTIQ+ organizations, we will develop guidelines for addressing the issue systematically. These guidelines will be presented to the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. We want the competent institutions to recognize the importance of systematically addressing this issue. This is the only way to ensure that school premises are safe for all youngsters.

A very important part of the project is working with LGBTIQ+ youngsters who have experienced bullying. We will introduce them to the method of storytelling and enable them to share their stories through educational activities in schools. This way we will empower and give a voice to the victims, who are often silenced.